Nice and Saint-Etienne clashed at the Allianz Riviera with the intention of moving into the top half of the table.
The hosts were 13th in the Ligue 1 standings with 17 points prior to the meeting, with the away side just a point above them in 11th.
However, Saint-Etienne extended that gap with a slender victory on the road to condemn Nice to their fourth loss on the spin.
Read how the match unfolded in our live commentary below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole’s live coverage of the Ligue 1 clash between Nice and Saint-Etienne. It promises to be an exciting encounter at the Allianz Riviera this afternoon and you can follow all the action as it folds live on this page with our minute-by-minute text commentary.
Heading into today’s clash, Nice find themselves 13th in the league table with 17 points from 13 matches, while Saint-Etienne are just a point above them in 11th.
Both sides are struggling and are in desperate need of a win. Nice have lost five of their last seven matches, while their visitors have won just one of their past eight fixtures.
The teamsheet is out now and I will type in the names shortly...
NICE XI: Veronese; Kolodzieczak, Pejcinovic, Puel, Genevois; Digard, Abriel, Bruls, Pied, Bruins; Bosetti
SAINT-ETIENNE XI: Ruffier; Ghoulam, Perrin, Sall, Clerc; Corgnet, Lemoine, Hamouma, Tabanou, Diomande; Erding
So Nice are without their top scorer Dario Cvitanich, who is suspended today. He has scored seven goals in Ligue 1 this season so far and his miss could prove crucial for the hosts.
For Saint-Etienne, their strikers have also struggled to score regularly as Romain Hamouma, their French-Algerian midfielder, has netted six times and provided three assists. He has been their best player so far this campaign.
Nice are looking to end a three-match losing streak, but missing half your team through injury or suspension doesn't help. Saint-Etienne will also be gutted that Brandao isn't fit for the match.
The teams are out, and we're just moments away from kick off.
KICKOFF! The match is underway.
Nice are wearing their red and blue home shirts with black shirts and black socks are playing from right to left.
Saint-Etienne are sporting their first kit of green shirts and socks with white shorts.
SAVE! First chance of the match falls to Nice after good build up from Bosetti and Bruls allows Pied to get a shot away, but Ruffier is equal to it.
Nice are looking the more dangerous at the moment as Bruls dinks a teasing cross to the far post from the right, but nobody can get a touch.
Saint-Etienne win a free kick in a good position out on the left touchline.
They can't make the most of it though, and Nice can clear the danger for now.
The game's beginning to open up now, but neither side has had a real chance in the last few minutes.
SAVE! Brilliant break from Saint-Etienne as Hamouma wins the ball and plays the perfect pass to free Erding. He gets his shot away, but Veronese makes the save.
GOAL! Nice 0-1 Saint-Etienne (Mevlut Erding)
Horrible moment for Nice's young keeper. Pejcinovic passes the ball back to him from the left touchline, but Veronese fails to control it and Erding is quickly on his case to tap the ball into an empty net.
Nice have responded well to going behind but haven't managed to have a clear effort on goal since.
Nice have been on top since going behind, and for most of the match to be honest, but they haven't tested Ruffier enough yet.
Bossetti, Bruls and Pied are linking up really well so far, and seem to have a very good understanding.
CHANCE! Kolodzieczak rises highest in the penalty area to get his head to a Bruls free kick from the right of the box, but he flicks it just wide of the far post.
CLOSE! Ghoulam smashes a free kick low with his left foot from around 35 yards out which panics Veronese. However, it flies just wide of the far post.
Not a huge amount to report on in the last few minutes. Nice still plugging away but to little avail at the moment.
HALF TIME: Nice 0-1 Saint-Etienne
So a rather uneventful half in truth which sees Saint-Etienne leading thanks to an error from Veronese that was converted by Erding.
The teams are back out and ready for the second half.
KICKOFF! The match is back underway.
NICE CHANGE Eysseric was brought on at the break in place of Bruins.
SAVE! Nearly a great start for Saint-Etienne. Erding finds himself free inside the opening 30 seconds of the half and tries to slot the ball into the bottom corner. But Veronese can push it wide.
SAVE! Brilliant stop from Veronese, who gets a hand to the ball after Tabanou slammed it towards the top corner from close range.
That will do wonders for the young man's confidence.
YELLOW CARDS Lemoine and Puel go into the book, the former for scything down his man before the latter clipped the over-dramatic Tabanou.
Digard hits a shot from a long way out and demands a corner, but the referee refuses to grant him one.
MISS! When your lucks not in, things just don't go your way. Tabanou, who hasn't been in great form, is unmarked at the far post as the ball is rolled across the six-yard box, but he somehow side-foots the ball wide.
CLOSE! Nice are starting to look threatening as Kolodzieczak clips a ball into the box where Pied meets it with a header, but he nods just wide.
SAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE Lemoine's time is brought to an end, as he is replaced by Clement.
Nice are hovering around the Saint-Etienne box, but still haven't forced Ruffier into doing anything for a while.
NICE CHANGE Honorat replaces Bossetti.
SAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE Corgnet comes off for Cohade.
NICE CHANGE Jeremy Pied has picked up knock and cannot continue. Jordan Amavi is on in his place.
Half a chance for Honorat but he heads wide of the far post from Bruls cross.
It's all Nice at the moment, with Saint-Etienne just playing on the counter-attack.
SAINT-ETIENNE CHANGE Final swap for the visitors as Tabanou is replaced by Brison.
Amavi gets on the end of a cross from Bruls, but it fails to trouble Ruffier who comfortably catches.
Nice are on course to lose four consecutive matches under Claude Puel for the first time.
We will have three minutes of added time.
FULL TIME: Nice 0-1 Saint-Etienne
Well that's it. It may have been slightly undeserved, but Saint-Etienne have come away with win to make it four straight losses for Nice.
Erding got the goal in the first half, after pouncing on a mistake from Veronese.
Well that's it from me for now, I'll be back later this evening to bring you Nantes vs. AS Monaco. Until then, goodbye.
Written by
Matt Cotton
Matt Cotton
